Chapter 94: Chapter 94: The Holy Mother
But there was nothing else he could do.
If possible, he really wished those holier-than-thou types could experience this for themselves. Let’s see if they’d still be shouting about forgiveness then. Whatever. It’s not worth getting angry over a bunch of sanctimonious hypocrites.
For the sake of easier management, Xia Liang eyed the three people scattered around. He dragged them by their legs and tossed them into a single pile.
Just as Xia Liang was wondering when the Protectors would arrive, his phone suddenly rang. He glanced down at Ye Ling, whom he was still holding, but felt no gentlemanly compassion. He tossed her to the ground, and to prevent her from escaping, he planted his foot firmly on her back.
This act sent the crowd of bootlickers into a frenzy. Xia Liang, however, was completely unfazed. He simply dusted off his hands and calmly pulled his phone from his bag.
It was a number he didn’t recognize. After a moment’s thought, Xia Liang answered the call.
"Hello? May I ask if you are Mr. Xia Liang?"
The voice on the other end was somewhat cautious. Xia Liang was puzzled. They knew his name, but he didn’t recognize the voice at all.
"This is he. Who’s calling?"
The caller was, of course, Yun Bing, who had gone to great lengths to find his number.
"That’s great! My name is Yun Bing! I’m a Protector with the Qingyun City Defense Bureau."
Yun Bing? Defense Bureau? Protector? ??? Sorry, doesn’t ring a bell.
The introduction sounded suspiciously like a script. Xia Liang frowned.
Is this a phone scam?
At that thought, he immediately hung up.
「On the other end of the line」
Yun Bing listened to the busy tone, stunned. Did he just hang up on me? Or was it an accident? Shaking her head, she dialed his number again. This time, however, the call was disconnected before it even went through. Unbelieving, Yun Bing tried one last time. This time, an automated female voice answered.
"Sorry, the number you have dialed has been switched off..."
Now there was no doubt. She had been blocked. Infuriated, Yun Bing slammed her fist against the car door.
Just as Yun Bing was about to borrow a colleague’s phone to try calling Xia Liang again, their car came to a stop. She had no choice but to put the matter aside for now. She got out, ready to handle the incident they had just been dispatched for. According to the report, it was a badger game.
They quickly arrived at the scene.
"Make way! Everyone, make way!" someone in the crowd shouted. "The Protectors are here!"
The onlookers immediately parted to form a path.
Entering the cleared space, the first thing they saw was the three people piled on the ground.
What in the world happened here?
In all their years on the force, neither Yun Bing nor her colleague had ever seen anything like it.
One person sets up an extortion scam against four people? No, that’s clearly impossible. The only other explanation is that the extortionists had the tables turned on them!
Only then did Yun Bing’s attention shift to the man standing beside the four culprits: Xia Liang.
Huh? Her eyes widened in delight the moment she saw him. Talk about a stroke of luck! After searching high and low... isn’t this the very same Xia Liang I’ve been looking for?
A joyful expression lit up her face as she hurried over.
"Xia Liang?"
The scene left the Protector behind her utterly stunned. What is happening? Is Captain Yun actually showing an emotion? Her name was Yun Bing, and she lived up to it. To the entire Defense Bureau, she was like ice a thousand years old: bitingly cold, someone no one dared approach. At the bureau, it was rare for Yun Bing to even smile. If she so much as eased her perpetually stern expression for you, it was considered a monumental event.
Hearing his name, Xia Liang looked over but didn’t recognize the woman approaching him. "And you are?" he asked.
"Huh?" The smile on Yun Bing’s face froze for an instant before, astonishingly, it was replaced by a look of genuine delight. Yes, it was delight.
I thought after our last meeting, he would have remembered me for sure. I expected him to recognize me the moment he saw me. And yet, he looks genuinely confused, as if we’ve never met. Yun Bing was certain he wasn’t like all those other men who pretended not to know her just to get her attention. He’s truly a special kind of man!
Yun Bing quickly regained her composure. Looking at Xia Liang, she couldn’t help but remind him, "I’m the one who handled the extortion case you were involved in last time. I was also the one who just called you."
Xia Liang racked his brain and vaguely recalled the incident. He felt a bit embarrassed. "Oh, right. Sorry about that! I thought it was a scam call."
"Don’t worry about it," Yun Bing said, waving her hand dismissively. Her gaze then fell upon the four people at Xia Liang’s feet. "These are the members of the extortion crew, then." Her tone was certain, not questioning.
"Yeah." Xia Liang nudged one of the figures with his foot, his expression turning grim. "But they’re not just simple extortionists. They’re human traffickers."
"What?"
His words stunned the crowd for a moment, and then they erupted in laughter.
"HAHAHA!"
"That’s hilarious!"
"Did I hear that right?"
"This kid is saying they’re human traffickers?"
"Hey, buddy! Traffickers abduct women and children. Why would they bother kidnapping a grown man like you?"
"Seriously, that’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all day."
Amid the laughing onlookers, the most shocked person was Scorpion. Lying on the ground, she broke out in a cold sweat, unable to comprehend how Xia Liang could possibly know their true identities. Her mind raced, desperately searching for a way to escape.
Xia Liang didn’t bother explaining himself to the ignorant crowd of gawkers. Instead, he simply looked toward Yun Bing. She remained silent, her expression thoughtful. She believed Xia Liang wouldn’t make such an accusation without a reason.
The other Protector accompanying her, however, was not so convinced. His thinking was more conventional. Like the onlookers, he found the claim absurd. Traffickers go after women and children. I’ve never heard of them kidnapping a man, no matter how handsome he is. He was just about to voice his skepticism when Yun Bing, standing in front of him, suddenly spoke.
"Where is their base of operations?"
What the hell? What is happening?
Everyone present stared at Yun Bing in astonishment. Is this Protector an idiot? How could she believe such a baseless accusation? Or is she trying to use some shady tactic to frame these four? Maybe she wants to make sure they’re locked up for good? It looks like she knows this guy. In an instant, the minds of the onlookers began to run wild with speculation.
On the ground, Scorpion was already scared witless by the conversation. She knew just how much people in the Dragon Country detested human traffickers. It was no exaggeration to say that if their crimes were confirmed, this angry mob would probably beat them to death on the spot. Even the sanctimonious hypocrites who had defended them earlier would be the first to throw a punch.
The reason Yun Bing believed Xia Liang was, of course, because she had witnessed his incredible hypnotism skills firsthand.
Seeing her trust him so readily, Xia Liang couldn’t help a flicker of surprise from showing in his eyes.